Cat Treat

ABSTRACT

A pet treat having a sugar-based edible portion including a palatant material and a support portion. Incorporation of starch provides a hard-candy texture for the edible portion. The pet treat may be formed as a lollipop, a toy, or a lozenge using either a batch process or a continuous process. Features to interest a pet include a resilient mount, or a rotatable mount. An adhesive mount can attach the support to a variety of surfaces. A replaceable cover and rejuvenant container may be used.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to pet comestibles. In particular, theinvention concerns a treat for cats.

Previously, it has been known to prepare edible products for pets,including cats. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,506,401 issued to Rothamelet al. on Jan. 14, 2003, discloses an edible product which includes aflour-based shell in which the principal ingredients are soy flour andwheat flour. The shell may include sugar in the range of 0-6 wt % andcrystalline fructose in the range of 0-6.5 wt %. The product includesother ingredients so that it can be used as a hairball treatment. Seealso U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,228,402, 6,159,508, and 5,989,604 issued to Woldet al.

It is also known to prepare pet treats by an infusion process wherephytochemicals are added to pet foods such as ground liver, groundchicken and others that have been formed as cubes. The pet treats can beinfused with medicinals resulting in treats that are more effective thanpills. Infusion using osmotic dehydration is disclosed where the foodproduct is submerged in a solution having a high concentration ofsolutes such as a solution with a high sugar component (e.g., highfructose corn syrup, dextrose, saccharides, aldohexoses, and hydroliyzedstarches). Water in the food product then migrates to the solution. See,for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,440,449, issued the Hirschberg on Aug. 27,2002.

The known pet treats are typically offered as an object that the peteither consumes, or does not consume—at the whim of the pet.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With typical edible treats for companion animals are offered as rewardsfor good behavior, training enticements, and special occasions. As such,the edible treats are generally offered to the companion animal withoutinteraction from the owner, i.e., the companion animal simply eats thetreat and moves on to other activities. The treat of this disclosureextends the interaction time between the owner and the companion animal,such as a cat.

This invention involves the preparation of a pet treat having asugar-based portion or component, and a support portion or component,where the support portion is adapted for use by the pet owner so thatinteraction between the pet and its owner is fostered. Preferably thesugar-based portion includes a flavorant tailored to the pet for whichthe treat is intended and known to be a preference for the pet. Thecombination of the sugar-based portion and the flavorant entices the petto lick the sugar-based portion while the support portion is held by thepet owner, thereby facilitating the pet-human interaction.

Various shapes and configurations for the sugar-based portion of thetreats are contemplated. For example, simple disk shapes; geometricshapes including polygons; naturally occurring shapes like seashells,fish, and hearts; drops; prisms; knobs; tapers, and the like aresuitable for these treats.

To prolong the pet's interest in the treat, the treat may be shaped likea favorite toy, and fashioned from a composition with flavors and tastesthat hold the pet's interest. Alternatively, the treat may be configuredas a new toy, and may include moveable features. The treats can also beimplemented in pet toys. To this end, the treat can be resilientlymounted so that it can oscillate. The treat can be mounted so that itcan rotate. These are but a few of the myriad configurationalpossibilities.

The treat may be fashioned to elicit a strong organoleptic response fromthe pet. For example, where the pet is a cat, a sugar base may be mixedwith dried meat, dried fish, or the like to arouse and maintain thepet's interest. Structurally, the treats of this invention include theedible portion for the pet, and a supporting portion on which the edibleportion is mounted. The supporting portion is preferably arranged sothat it can be manually held or mounted to a surface.

Either a batch process or a continuous process may be used to make thetreats of this invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art when this specification is read in conjunctionwith the drawings wherein like reference numerals are applied to likeelements and wherein:

FIG. 1 schematically shows apparatus for a batch process to produce cattreats;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail view of a mold used with the process;

FIG. 3 schematically shows a top view of a continuous productionprocess;

FIG. 4 schematically shows a front view of the continuous productionprocess of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows a first embodiment of a lollipop shaped treat;

FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of a lollipop shaped treat;

FIG. 7 shows a heart-embossed lollipop shaped treat;

FIG. 8 shows a heart-shaped lollipop shaped treat;

FIG. 9 shows a paw-print embossed lollipop shaped treat;

FIG. 10 shows a seashell-shaped treat;

FIG. 11 shows a fish-shaped treat;

FIG. 12 shows a circular treat on a spoon;

FIG. 13 shows a geometrically shaped treat;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a lozenge-shaped treat;

FIG. 15 is a side view of the lozenge-shaped treat of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a top view of a wrapped lozenge-shaped treat of FIG. 14;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a drop-shaped treat;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a spring-mounted treat;

FIG. 19 is a view, in partial cross-section, of a treat having apush-down enclosure;

FIG. 20 is a side view of the treat of FIG. 19 showing the enclosure inits second position;

FIG. 21 is a side view of a push-up dispenser for treats;

FIG. 22 is a side view of the push-up dispenser of FIG. 21 with thecover removed;

FIG. 23 is a top view of the push-up dispenser of FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a front view of a wearable ring treat embodiment;

FIG. 25 is a side view of the wearable ring treat embodiment of FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 depicts an edible stick-shaped treat adapted to roll;

FIG. 27 is a side view of a plurality of treats on a rotatable toymount;

FIG. 28 is a view in partial cross section taken along the line 24-24 ofFIG. 27 with both arms aligned;

FIG. 29 is a view in partial cross section of a treat with a removable,reclosable end cap and container with refreshable powder;

FIG. 30 is a view in partial cross section of a treat with an adhesivelymountable base;

FIG. 31 is a view of the bottom of FIG. 30;

FIG. 32 is a view in partial cross section of a treat with a removabletop;

FIG. 33 is a view of the bottom of the treat of FIG. 32;

FIG. 34 is a view in cross-section taken along the line 34-34 of FIG.35;

FIG. 35 is a side view of a ball-like treat;

FIG. 36 is a side view of an ellipsoidally shaped treat;

FIG. 37 is a view in cross-section taken along the line 37-37 of FIG.38;

FIG. 38 is a side view of the cylindrical treat;

FIG. 39 is a side view of a stick treat with an end loop;

FIG. 40 is a side view of a stick treat with a mounting base;

FIG. 41 is a view in partial cross section of a ball-shaped treatrotatable around an axis; and

FIG. 42 is a view in partial cross section of a ball-shaped treatrotatable within its support.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This treat has a variety of desirable characteristics as compared withprior treats. Structurally, the treat according to this disclosureincludes an edible portion and a support portion. Unlike prior treats,an important characteristic of the treat according to this disclosureprovides an interactive treat that promotes a mode of interactionbetween the human and the companion animal. Such interaction is effectedby providing the support portion which can be held by the pet owner sothat the pet does not merely consume the edible portion or move to adifferent place to consume the edible portion. For example, where thecompanion animal is a cat, the treat promotes a human-feline bonding, asthe cat may be sitting on the owner's lap while enjoying the product asit is held by the owner.

Another desired feature of the treat of this disclosure is to lengthenthe time the companion animal spends enjoying the treat. To this end,the treat may have a hard texture that can be consumed by licking ratherthan chewing. With this feature, the companion animal needs a longertime to eat the treat completely licking takes longer that chewing tocompletely the treat. Simultaneously, the treat provides another benefitfor the pet owner. Namely, if the companion animal tires of the treatand any related attention from the owner, the owner can dispose of theunused portion of the treat or save it for reuse on another occasion.Plainly, the consumption time frame and pet attention time frame willvary from pet species to pet species. Nevertheless, a desirable timeframe for consumption is on the order of 5 minutes for a cat.

Another intended feature for a treat according to this disclosure is toelicit an intense reaction from the pet. To this end, the treat ought tobe highly palatable and desirable for the pet. For example, where theintended pet is a cat, the treat may have the flavor of fish, poultry,or other flavors as to which cats have been found to be attracted.

The structural embodiment of the treat can be selected from a variety ofshapes and configurations. The configuration may be selected to promoteor enhance the playful indulgence for the pet. To this end, the treatmay mimic a familiar toy, or a new toy with mechanical characteristicssuch a resiliency or movement.

To promote the organoleptic response of the pet, the edible portion of asuitable treat may have a composition with a sucrose or fructose base(i.e., a sugar base), and may include a flavor compound such as driedmeat, dried fish, dry digest, or other compound tailored to the targetcompanion animal. Materials such as dried meat, dried fish, and drieddigest are particularly favored by cats and are thus highly palatable.In addition to the sugar base, the treat includes starch so that itsformulation gives a hard-candy texture and composition. Other suitableingredients could include sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup, starch gums,coloring agents, and preservatives, if necessary.

Dry palatants may be incorporated into the treats to drive indulgenceand elicit a strong organoleptic response from the companion animal. Thedry palatants can be meat, fish, or dry digest. During preparation ofthe treats, the palatant ingredients may be pre-cooked for quickerproduction, or be processed with the sugar in such a way that thepalatant ingredients are cooked during preparation of the treats.

The component formulation for a cat treat according to this disclosuremay include the following ingredients:

Ingredient Amount, wt. % Dextrose (heated) 40-60 Corn syrup  0-10Dextrose (solid) 0-5 Dried digest 30-50 Artificial color 0-5 Liverflavor 0-3 Salt 0-2 Onion extract 0-2 Garlic powder 0-2

From the foregoing ingredient list, it will be seen that sugar (i.e.,the listed dextrose) is the base or principal ingredient for the edibleportion of the treat. The next most prevalent ingredient is the drydigest, which may comprise a starch to create a hard, candy-like texturefor the edible portion of the treat. It is also contemplated that theedible portion may have a jelly-like or taffy-like texture either orwhich may be softer than a hard, candy-like texture.

To make treats according to this invention, either batch processing andcontinuous processing are suitable manufacturing techniques. Thecontinuous process is presently the preferred process as it is bettersuited to automation than a batch process.

Where a batch process is used (see FIG. 1), the sugar base is firstmelted and liquefied to a temperature of >200° F. To accomplish thatmelting step, the sugar may be added to a suitable conventional kettlehaving a steam jacket 52 and an internal mixing device 54. The kettle 52may have a capacity on the order of 30 gallons. As the sugar base isheated, that portion in contact with the kettle wall liquefies as aresult of the heat transferred from the steam jacket 52. The mixingdevice 54 is operated during the melting process to stir the sugar baseand promote uniform temperature and melting.

When the sugar base is melted, a portion is transferred to a smallersuitable conventional kettle 56, also having a steam jacket 58 and amixer 60. This smaller kettle may have a capacity on the order of 5gallons. In the smaller kettle 56, the remaining dry ingredients (one ormore pre-cooked palatants) are added to the liquefied sugar base andstirred by the mixer 60 to attain a substantially uniform blend. Thesteam jacket 58 maintains the temperature of the sugar base and heatsthe remaining ingredients so that the blend is flowable. While both thelarger kettle 50 and the smaller kettle 56 have been described as havingsteam jackets, other conventional heating sources such as resistanceheating, radiant heating, conductive heating, and inductive heating arealso within the scope of this invention.

Next, the blend is poured into a suitable conventional mold fillingdevice 62, positioned above a conveyor 64. The filling device 62 mayhave an internal auger 63 to move the blend to a filing head 65. Theconveyor 64 operates to move preformed molds 66 beneath the filling head65. Each mold 66 may have a plurality of mold cavities constructed andarranged to mate and cooperate with the filling head 65. It is alsocontemplated that multi-part molds may be used if desired to have morecomplex shapes. If necessary or desired, mold cavities may be coatedwith suitable conventional release agents before being advanced to themold head 65. Thus, when the conveyor 64 advances the mold 66 a intoposition in registry with the filling head 65, the mold cavities of themold 66 a are filled.

The conveyor 64 then advances the mold 66 b to a subsequent positionwhere an attachment portion is inserted into the blend in each moldcavity. The attachment portion may be shaped like a stick and is addedto the soft dough or blend to enhance handling ease. Moreover, theoptional stick can be either edible or non-edible.

Each mold cavity 68 (see FIG. 2) receives a predetermined quantity ofthe blend 70, for example 3 to 5 grams. The mold cavities 68 of eachmold 66 may be similarly shaped. Alternately, each mold 66 may have avariety of differently shaped mold cavities 68. Typically the sidewallsof the mold are tapered to facilitate release of the finished productfrom the mold. Nevertheless, the mold cavity 68 may be shaped on one orboth sides as desired. The attachment 72 typically protrudes above themole 66 b and above the associated mold cavity 68.

The soft blended dough with its attachment portion is allowed to cooland harden in the mold 66. That cooling process (see FIG. 1) may takeplace under ambient conditions by placing the filled molds 66 is asuitable conventional storage rack 74 so that air can circulate aroundit. Alternately, the filled molds can be placed in a refrigerated spaceto expedite the cooling process.

When the treats have cooled and solidified, they are removed from thecorresponding mold cavities, packaged, and distributed for sale.

For a continuous process (see FIG. 3), a suitable conventional twinscrew extruder 80 with external heating may be used. A pair of feedhoppers 82, 84 is spaced along the extruder 80 barrel in alignment withcorresponding feed openings 86, 88 for the extruder 80. The sugar baseis added to the first hopper 82 and advances to the corresponding feedopening 86 at the upstream end of the extruder 80. As the sugar baseadvances through the extruder 80, it is heated and liquefied both by theshearing action of the extruder screws and by any additional externalheating that may be used. Typically, the temperature of the sugar baseexceeds 180° F. The remaining ingredients, including any precookedpalatants, are supplied to the second hopper 84 and advance to thesecond feed opening 88 in the extruder 80 so that the remainingingredients are mixed with and blended with the liquefied sugar basebefore reaching the downstream end of the extruder 80. At the downstreamend of the extruder 80, the blend of sugar base and other ingredients isdischarged through a small hole of a die plate in the form of a rope orextrudate.

The extruder 80 delivers extrudate to a suitable conventional continuousforming and wrapping machine 90. The machine 90 portions the extrudateinto appropriately sized amounts, shapes those sized amounts into adesired configuration in rotating mold cavities, applies a supportportion, and wraps the assembled treat with a suitable over wrap.

Wrapped pieces advance from the forming machine 90 to an intake end 92of a conveyor that moves through a suitable conventional refrigerationtunnel 94. In the refrigeration tunnel 94, the individual treats cool sothat the blend solidifies and hardens. Finished treats are thencollected from the discharge end 96 of the conveyor of the refrigerationtunnel 94 and move to a packaging station or operation.

The product resulting from either the batch or continuous productionprocess may resemble a lollipop 100. (See FIG. 5). For the lollipopconfiguration, the continuous forming and packaging machine 90 cuts theextrudate rope into small pieces, forms the lollipop, adds the stick,and wraps the lollipop.

The product can be presented as individually wrapped sticks, iflollipops. Wrapping for the product can be cellophane and may becollated in a perforated strip for unitary dispensing. Product may alsobe wrapped as a single product with multiple product pieces being placedin a container that acts as a dispenser. The molded shape of the treatmay have any desired shape including, by way of example, a circle, asphere, a fish, a heart, a paw, or the like, any such shape may alsoinclude an embossed design. Any of those shapes may be offered aslollipop style or a conventionally styled treat.

More particularly, the lollipop 100 (see FIG. 5) may include an edibleportion shaped as a rectangular prism with tapered sides and asupporting stick 104. The stick may be smooth, or decorated, as forexample with a spiral bead or decoration.

More complex shapes for a lollipop are also contemplated. The edibleportion of a lollipop 100 (see FIG. 6) may include substantiallyhemispherical base 106 supporting a geometric shape 108 such as aportion of a heart. The edible portion may be mounted to a support 110having a disc underlying the base 106 to give lateral support. Further,the support 110 may include a hooked end 114 so that the treat can beeasily pulled to play with the cat while the treat is being consumed.

The lollipop may also have a disk-shaped edible portion 116 (see FIG. 7)carried by a rod 120. If desired, the edible portion may include anembossed or raised design feature, such as a heart 118, or a paw print124 (see FIG. 9).

In addition to geometric shapes such as disks and prisms, the edibleportion may have various other shapes. More particularly, the edibleportion may have a heart shape 122 (see FIG. 8), a sea shell shape 126(see FIG. 10), an animal shape such as a fish 128 (see FIG. 11), or acomplex geometrical configuration 130 (see FIG. 13).

The support portion may also have other utilitarian shapes. For example,the support 132 (see FIG. 12) may be configured like an eating utensilsuch as a spoon, with the edible portion 134 carried on the utensil,rather than at the end of the support.

The edible portion of treats according to this disclosure may also beshaped as individual candies. The candies may be used as individualtreats, but may also be designed as renewable portions for use with areusable support portion. A disk-shaped candy piece 130 (see FIG. 14)may be generally circular and include straight tapered sides (see FIG.15). Each candy piece 130 may be individually wrapped 132 (see FIG. 16),or a plurality of candy pieces may be packaged in a suitable container,which may be resealable. The candy pieces may have surfaceembellishments such as described above in connection with variouslollipop designs. Moreover, the candy pieces may have more complexshapes such as a teardrop 134 having a flat bottom. The possibilitiesfor shaping the edible candy pieces are myriad.

The treat may be designed as a part of a toy for the pet. For example,the lollipop 140 (see FIG. 18) may have a generally spherical edibleportion 142 with the support portion including a base 144 to which thelollipop 140 is attached by a resilient, spring or spring-likeconnection 146. As the cat licks the lollipop 140, the spring 146 allowsthe treat to move so that it is more challenging for the cat to lick. Inaddition, the cat may decide to bat the lollipop with its paw and enjoythe resulting movement. The base 144 may also include an adhesivecoating so that the top can be mounted on horizontal or vertical, orinclined surfaces to make its action more interesting to the cat.

The treat may also be designed so that the cat must learn a simplemanipulation to enjoy the treat. For example, the support portion 150may substantially enclose the edible portion 152 and include a collar154 biased to surround the edible portion 152 by a spring 158.Preferably, the collar 154 has a central opening 156 slightly largerthan the maximum diameter of the edible portion 152. To fully enjoy thetreat, the cat must learn to press down on the collar 154 so that theedible portion 152 is fully exposed (see FIG. 20). If desired, a surfaceadhesive may be provided on the bottom 160 of the support 150 so thatthe toy can be mounted with virtually any orientation.

A treat may also be arranged with two or more different edible portions,where each edible portion has the same or different flavorants. Such atreat 170 (see FIG. 21) may include a support portion 172 having aremovable, replaceable cover 174 which is held in place on the supportportion 172 by one or more detent arrangements 176. The detentarrangement 176 may include a radially projecting flange on the supportportion 172 that cooperates with and is received by a facing grooveinside the cover 174. The support portion 172 may be generallycylindrical (see FIGS. 22, 23) and define two or more chambers that incross section are shaped like segments of a circle (see FIG. 23). Thechambers may be similarly sized or may have different sizes. Similarlysized chambers would be useful if the same edible material flavor isused in each chamber and the treat is designed for multiple uses, or itis anticipated that the pet would not consume the entire treat at onetime. Differently sized chambers would be useful if, for example, one isfilled with an edible component that would last for three minutes,another is filled with an edible component that would last for sixminutes, and another is filled with an edible component that would lastfor nine minutes. The user could then select the chamber most closelyapproximating the time available to interact with the pet.

To use the treat, each chamber includes a movable base with a tab 186guided along the support portion 172 by a corresponding slot 188. Thus,by moving the tab 186 along the slot 188, the edible portion of thetreat moves from an enclosed position to an exposed position 190, orfrom an exposed position to a more fully exposed position. Moving thetab down the slot 188, the edible portion can be returned to an enclosedposition.

The treat may also be constructed to be wearable. For example, it can bearranged in the shape of ring to be worn on the pet owner's finger. (SeeFIGS. 24, 25). The treat 200 may include a ring shaped support portion204 and an edible portion 202. The edible portion 202 may be shaped likea flower or may any of the other embodiments described herein.

In some applications, it may be desired to shape the treat as a rod 210with surface ornamentation (see FIG. 26). As depicted, the surfaceornamentation may include a first rod with a second rod spirally wrappedaround the first rod. Either one or both ends of the rod 210 may beattached to corresponding disk-shaped members 211 so that the treat canrotate around the axis of the rod 210 and be rolled by the pet as therod 210 is licked. The rod may also comprise two or more elongatedpieces that are twisted or braided together.

Other types of support members are also within the contemplation of thisinvention. For example, a D-shaped support 310 (see FIG. 39) may beattached to one end of the rod 210. Where the D-shaped support 310includes an eyelet opening 312 the treat can be suspended by a lanyardor string so that the treat can dangle or be worn around the pet owner'sneck. While the opening 312 is shown as having a D shape, other shapesare also within the scope of this embodiment including, withoutlimitation, circles, polygons, and other shapes.

If desired, one end of the rod 210 (see FIG. 40) may be attached to abase element 314 to support the treat with its axis being substantiallyvertical. The base 314 may be fabricated from suitable conventionalplastic material. As desired, the treat may be permanently fixed to thebase 314 or it may be slidably attached so that the base 314 can bereused when the treat has been consumed. Furthermore, it may bedesirable to have a plurality of interchangeable supports that can usedwith the treats to add variety and interest for the pet. For example,the rod-like treat 210 may be designed to work interchangeably with thesupports of FIGS. 18, 26, 39, and 40. Similarly, the lollipop treats ofFIGS. 5 and 7-13 may be designed to work interchangeably with thesupports of FIGS. 18, 39, and 40. Such systems of treats withinterchangeable supports complement the bonding between pet and owner.

The treat may also be constructed to have multiple rotatable edibleportions. For example (see FIG. 27), a support portion 210 may include aplurality of rotatable arms 212, 214, 216, 218 each of which carries anedible portion 220 at its end. The rotatable arms are attached to thesupport member 210 by a pair of axially aligned pins 222 that arereceived in conforming recesses of the support member 210. The length ofthe pins 22 and the diameter of the pins 22 relative to the conformingrecesses allow the freedom of rotation to be predetermined. Moreover,with a similar pin and conforming recess connection 224 between pairs ofarms, the angular spacing of the arms can be adjusted as desired. Suchflexibility may be useful for packaging purposes.

Yet another embodiment of the treat 230 (see FIG. 29) of this disclosureincludes a support portion 232 in the shape of a jar. A removable,replaceable cover 234 can be attached to the support portion 232 with asleeve-like connection 235. The edible portion 238 of the treat iscarried by the jar and is fixed to the jar by a cap 237 having aninternal thread 236 mating with the jar. In use, with the cap 234removed, the pet can enjoy the edible portion 238 of the treat. But, theedible portion 238 can be rejuvenated with palatant material asfrequently as the owner may desire. To this end, the cap 237 is removed,and the surface 240 of the edible portion 238 is dipped into powderedpalatant 242 contained in the jar 232. Then, the treat is reassembled inthe configuration shown. Thus, the pet's interest in the treat can beprolonged by refreshing the edible portion with palatant.

The treat can also be constructed with replaceable edible portions. Forexample, the treat 250 (see FIG. 30) includes a generally circularsupport portion 254 having a central opening 255. The central opening255 may include a radially inwardly projecting flange 256 that engages acylindrical part of the edible portion 252. The cylindrical part issized to be received in the central opening 255 so that its surface isengaged and retained by the flange 256. In use, the edible portion 252may thus snap into position relative to the support 254. If desired, thecentral opening 255 may include a generally helical thread projectinginwardly. Where the edible portion 252 is sufficiently soft, it cansimply be threaded into the opening. If the edible portion 252 is notsufficiently soft, it may be provided with a complementary thread sothat it can be attached to the support 254 with a threaded connection.The edible portion 252 preferably is substantially circularly symmetricabout an axis 260 that coincides with the axis of the support portion254. As shown, he edible portion 252 has a generally spherical knob. Toreplace the edible portion 252, the old edible portion 252 is pulledfrom the support portion 254, and a fresh edible portion inserted sothat its circular end engages and is retained by the flange 256.

To hold the support portion in position, the bottom may be provided withan adhesive layer 258. So that the support portion 254 can be light, andcan be removed without inordinate difficulty, the bottom is fashionedwith concentric rings and radial ribs. With the adhesive layer 258 beingapplied to these smaller surface areas, the treat 250 can be removed ifdesired.

Still another embodiment of the treat 270 (see FIGS. 32, 33) includes acircular base portion 274 that carries an edible portion 272. The edibleportion 272 has a generally frustoconical shape with a substantiallyhemispherical end. A transparent cover 273 surrounds and encloses theedible portion 272, and is attached to the base portion 274 with asliding connection 275. An adhesive layer 276 applied to the bottom ofthe base portion 274 to attach the treat 270 to a surface. The baseportion 274 is constructed with concentric rings and radially extendingribs. The outer ring has a larger radial width than the inner ring toprovide appropriate adhesion.

Another contemplated embodiment of the pet treat (see FIG. 35) comprisesa generally spherical support or shell 280 which may be fabricated fromplastic or any other suitable conventional material. The support 280(see FIG. 34) is preferably a thin shell that includes an opening 282exposing the interior of the support 280. The edible portion 284 of thetreat is contained in the support 280 and accessed by the pet throughthe opening 282. While the opening is shown as being generally circular(see FIG. 35), it may have any desired shape including withoutlimitation polygonal and/or irregular peripheries. With this embodiment,the treat can be held or allowed to roll on the floor or anotherhorizontal surface. When placed so that it can roll, the treat functionsas a toy for the pet, too.

Other shapes for the shell are also contemplated. For example, afootball-like shape (see FIG. 36) may be used. Here, the support 290 isshown as an ellipsoid of revolution about its major axis and includes anelliptical opening 292 exposing the edibile portion 294 of the treat.When this embodiment is placed on the floor, as the pet licks it, thetreat will roll erratically. The ellipsoid shown in FIG. 36 is notintended to be limiting. For example, the outer support 290 may havemore pointed ends to resemble and American football, and it may beellipsoidal in cross section when viewed in perpendicularcross-sections. Further, the support 290 may be characterized as aprolate spheroid or an oblate spheroid. An oblate spheroid would, forexample, tend to wobble rather than roll when played with by the pet.

Of course, the support need not be spherical or elliptical. Moreparticularly, the support 300 (see FIG. 37) may be a thin generallycylindrical shell with a closed end and an opening 302. The edible treatportion 307 is contained by the support 300. The opening 302 (see FIG.38) may not fully expose the end of the cylindrical support or shell300. However, it is also contemplated that the entire end of the edibleportion 304 may be exposed if desired. As with the embodiment of FIGS.34 and 35, the embodiments of FIGS. 36-38 may have openings of anydesired shape. Furthermore, the shells of the embodiments in FIGS. 36-38may be fabricated from any suitable conventional material, includingwithout limitation plastic material.

Other movable treat arrangements are shown in FIGS. 41 and 42. Theedible portion 320 of a treat may be spherical and carried by an axle322. The support 324 includes an internal cavity 326 shaped to conformto the outside of the ball 320 while providing clearance so that theball 320 can rotate about the axle 322. The support 324 also has alignedopenings to receive the ends of the axle 322. The base may be fabricatedfrom a suitable conventional material, such as plastic. While the edibleportion 320 is shown as being spherical, other shapes are alsocontemplated. For example, the rotatable edible portion 320 could bedisk-shaped, or cylindrical, or irregular. When viewed from the axis ofthe axle 322, the edible portion 320 may be circular, or polygonal, orirregular, as may be desired. The important feature of the internalcavity 326 is that is permits the rotatable edible portion 320 to rotatewhile supported by the base 324.

Another treat having rotatable, generally spherical, edible portion 330(see FIG. 42) includes a thin generally spherical shell 332 with anopening to expose the edible portion 330. The edible portion ispreferably freely rotatable within the shell 332. The shell 330, inturn, is received by a conformingly shaped cavity 336 of a support 334.As the pet licks the edible portion 330, the sphere 330 can rotate butis held in one place by the support 334.

The edible part of the treats disclosed and discussed above has atexture that a pet must lick, thereby increasing consumption time.

Where the treat includes a stick, as a lollipop, it can be hand fed tothe cat, promoting human-cat interaction. The stick may also be fastenedto a spring, adding mobility and feline interest to the treat. Thespring can be fastened to a base to make the entire apparatusstationary. Alternatively, a stationary toy can have a movable treat onthe end. The cat can play with the treat-on-a-spring, and proceed to eatthe treat as desired. The stick can have a suction cup or adhesiveattached to its support portion, to simply adhere the entire treat to anarbitrarily oriented stationary surface. The treat can be providedwithout any stick, and consist of just the edible portion, similar to ahard candy for humans. The hard candy may include a surface that adheresto a stationary surface, permitting the cat to lick the treat while thetreat is fastened to the surface. To be more toy-like, the hard candycan be presented in a common push-up dispenser. The treat can befastened to a ring and worn on a finger to be dispensed to the cat. Thetreat can even be shaped as an ornamental stick. It can also be formedas a rotatable member for a cat toy. Finally, but without limitation,the treat can be offered as a solid treat in a container having alift-off top and a container holding renewing palatant powder into whichthe treat can be dipped to rejuvenate and/or enhance flavor intensity.

Various embodiments of the pet treat according to this invention aredescribed in the figures. Nevertheless, presently the most preferredembodiment of the invention is depicted in FIGS. 32 and 33. Thatembodiment is most preferred because it allows flexibility in thehuman-to-animal interaction. For example, the pet owner can hold thetreat for bonding time and/or place it down for the pet to consumeindependently. This embodiment is also capable of efficient and simpleproduction. For example, this embodiment has process advantages in thatthe molds have a simple shape and the assembly process only requires afew steps. The embodiments of FIGS. 7-13 and 18 are also preferred asmanufacturing equipment is readily available to make lollipop-likeitems.

Where used in this description, “substantially” is intended to reachembodiments which depart from strict, literal definitions of thegrammatical elements being modified. Where used in this description,“polygonal” is intended to reach embodiments that may be defined bysubstantially straight sides, although rounded or smoothed corners arewithin the meaning of polygonal.

It will now be apparent to those skilled in the art that a new pettreat, methods for its manufacture, details of suitable embodiments, anda compositional formulation have been disclosed and described. Thoseskilled in the art will also recognize that may modifications,variations, substitutions, and equivalents exist for features of theinvention that do not materially depart from the spirit and scope of theinvention. Accordingly, it is expressly intended that all suchmodifications, variations, substitutions, and equivalents that fallwithin the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appendedclaims be expressly embraced thereby.

1. A pet treat comprising: a substantially solid, comestible portion,having a sugar base and a flavorant; and a support, to which thecomestible portion is attached; wherein the comestible portion isingested by licking.
 2. The pet treat of claim 1 wherein the comestibleportion has a molded shape.
 3. The pet treat of claim 2 wherein themolded shape is selected from the group consisting of a disk, a heart, afish, a shell, a rectangular prism, a segment of a cylinder, and a knob.4. The pet treat of claim 2 wherein the molded shape includes anembossed surface.
 5. The pet treat of claim 1 wherein the supportincludes a rod.
 6. The pet treat of claim 1 wherein the support includesa resilient member.
 7. The pet treat of claim 1 wherein the supportincludes an element for attaching the support to a substantiallyimmovable member.
 8. The pet treat of claim 1 wherein the supportincludes a movable member.
 9. The pet treat of claim 8 wherein themovable member exposes the comestible portion of the treat.
 10. The pettreat of claim 8 wherein the movable member carries a plurality ofcomestible portions.
 11. The pet treat of claim 1 including a pluralityof comestible portions.
 12. The pet treat of claim 1 further including aremovable cover mating with the support and enclosing the comestibleportion.
 13. The pet treat of claim 1 wherein the support includes aring-shaped portion.
 14. The pet treat of claim 1 wherein the support isshaped like an eating utensil.
 15. A pet treat comprising: asubstantially solid, comestible portion, having a sugar base and aflavorant; wherein the comestible portion is ingested by licking. 16.The pet treat of claim 15 wherein the comestible portion has a rod-likeshape.
 17. The pet treat of claim 15 wherein the comestible portion hasa disk-like shape.
 18. The pet treat of claim 15 wherein the comestibleportion has a generally conical shape.
 19. The pet treat of claim 15wherein the comestible portion includes a generally spherical portion.20. A process of making a pet treat including the steps of: liquefying asugar base; adding at least one pre-cooked palatant; blending thepalatant and the sugar base; molding the blend; cooling the blend tosolidify it; and removing the blend from the mold.
 21. The process ofclaim 20 further including the step of applying a support to the moldedblend.
 22. The process of claim 20 further including the step ofwrapping the cooled treat after removing it from the mold.
 23. Theprocess of claim 20 wherein the process is a continuous process.
 24. Theprocess of claim 20 wherein the process if a batch process.
 25. A pettreat comprising: a substantially solid, comestible portion, containingsugar and a flavorant; and a support, to which the comestible portion isattached; wherein the comestible portion is ingested by licking.